Is conversation a thing of the past?

First of all, let’s define the word conversation…

As I understand it, it is a talk between two or more people, in which news, ideas, thoughts, and feelings are exchanged.

But are conversations now outdated? Are they another collateral damage of COVID-19? Yes, you still can call your friends, but what is there to talk about besides the cursed pandemic? Everybody is dog-tired of that old potato and running out of new subjects… If you don’t go anywhere, don’t see or get it on with anybody, what are you going to gossip about?

A phone call today feels like conversing with an inmate or a nursing home dweller… Since they are confined, they have nothing interesting to add to the conversation, and very soon, you are going to run out of material.

What about your spouse, your inamorata? It does not get any better… Remember the old saying “familiarity breed indifference.” After a long time cloistered in your abode with anybody, you are ready to erupt.

Even if you are very close to that person, it is very difficult to keep the conversation going… they know everything about you and you know almost everything (?) about them…
You need to regularly get away from each other to keep the relationship sustainable…

But fortunately, I am a conversation camel… I can go a few days without talking to anybody…. I dabble in writing… often a lot of nonsense, but for me, it is a safety valve. It is an occupation which distracts me from our painful problem and  releases the pressure generated by imposed inactivity. And this hobby carries a big bonus! It also distracts you from raiding the fridge too often.
I wonder what we are all going to look like in a month, a year, when the damn virus finally disappears?

When writing (or toying with words and ideas) my main purpose is to entertain. Especially now when everybody is down in the dumps…

So when are we going to reopen the country and reintroduce the art of conversation? Our feckless fearless leader is eager to start making money again, but you cannot set an arbitrary date based on a personal whim.

I have the feeling that it is going to be a very long process, based on scientific facts and not on wishes.

In the meantime, keep a stiff upper lip under your mask!

Alain